Where are you currently at in your career path and why did you decide to pursue this career path?

I’m currently working full time as an Associate General Dentist mainly with kids. My passion is children’s dentistry and I have plans of going to residency to specialize in Pediatric Dentistry.

If you could go back and have a chat with your naïve college freshman self, what would you tell her?

I would tell myself to major in something that I enjoyed, while taking my prerequisites for medical/dental school. At this time I thought I wanted to be an OBGYN, so I dived right into being a Biology major. I didn’t realize that I could still take my prerequisites while majoring in something different.

What advice would you give to a dental student looking to pursue a similar path as yours?

I would say that no matter what, don’t give up! Keep studying for the DAT. Find mentors! Get advice from others that have traveled down your path. It took me 3 times to perfect my DAT and to get into dental school.

What is a major challenge you have had to overcome and how did you do so?

When I started dental school, I had been out of school for two years. It definitely was an adjustment learning to study again. The course load was heavy and challenging. I had to learn the best way to study and manage my time efficiently as well.

Can you please walk us through a typical workday?

Arrive at work around 7:45am

Morning huddle at 7:50 am

Patients: 8am-12pm (Mixture of hygeine checks and Operatory patients)

Lunch: 12-1pm

Patients: 1-5pm

What do you feel makes your specialty stand out from other health professions?

I guess I’m biased when it comes to this part because I love Dentistry! I wouldn’t want to work in any other field. I love working with my hands and changing the perception of the dentist being scary. The mixture of art and science is always intriguing to me as well. The work day goes by fast because I’m always doing different procedures and up moving around.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love to go outdoors to do various adventures and also travel as much as possible! Vacations keep me sane and happy!

Thank you so much for sharing some useful advice with us and giving us a sneak peek into what being a dentist is like Dr. Latoya! We really appreciate it! We’ll be cheering you on as you continue to do great things!